The federal government is quietly constructing a sweeping new data system called ImmigrationOS, a tech-driven platform designed to identify and deport millions of undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The system is being developed through a no-bid $30 million contract awarded to Palantir Technologies, a data analytics company founded by billionaire and Republican megadonor Peter Thiel.

Thiel, known for his close ties to Vice President JD Vance and DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) head Elon Musk, is no stranger to federal projects. His company already manages data systems for ICE’s Homeland Security investigations. With ImmigrationOS, Palantir will consolidate a vast array of government and private data to create individual profiles and prioritize deportation targets.

What ImmigrationOS Can Do

The new system, according to contract documents reviewed by USA TODAY, will allow ICE to track individuals who have overstayed visas, are suspected of gang affiliations, or have “self-deported.” It will cross-reference multiple databases to determine where someone lives, works, shops, and socializes.

By leveraging Palantir’s advanced data-mining technology, ImmigrationOS can go beyond government records, potentially analyzing social media, consumer habits through loyalty cards, and even location data. It aims to make ICE operations more precise and more aggressive, feeding directly into former President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport up to 1 million people per year.

National Security or Political Power?

ICE claims the project is necessary due to “extraordinary threats” posed by transnational criminal organizations. But civil liberties advocates say this justification is a convenient cover to fast-track a system with massive surveillance potential, one that lacks oversight and has little transparency.

“This isn’t just about immigrants anymore,” warns Cooper Quintin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “What they’re building is a tool that can be turned on anyone, immigrants, political opponents, journalists. It’s a blueprint for digital authoritarianism.”

Critics point out that federal databases were once separated to protect individual privacy. Now, with ImmigrationOS, that wall is crumbling. Even the IRS has given ICE access to taxpayer records, including those who file without a Social Security number.

The Palantir-Musk-Vance Nexus

Palantir’s deep links to DOGE and the Trump administration raise ethical concerns. Several of Elon Musk’s top deputies at DOGE have previously worked at Palantir. The trio of Thiel, Musk, and Vance reflects a new governing ideology, one that blends private-sector efficiency with government surveillance.

The system's development through a no-bid contract, bypassing traditional checks and balances, only intensifies those concerns. Transparency advocates fear it sets a precedent for quietly building tools that can be wielded not just for immigration enforcement, but political targeting.

Could You Be Next?

The most disturbing question raised by ImmigrationOS isn’t what it does today, but what it could do tomorrow. Trump has publicly stated he’s interested in removing not just undocumented immigrants but U.S. citizens he deems "dangerous." Attorney General Pam Bondi has reportedly been directed to explore such possibilities.

Quintin underscores the risk: “Even if you’re not undocumented, once your data is in the system, they can find some reason to come after you.”

Palantir’s contract is just one piece of a larger puzzle, an expanding federal surveillance infrastructure that, once built, may be nearly impossible to dismantle.